Summer Cannibals bare their teeth for Full of It

Summer Cannibals have grown up. They were never immature, but on third full length Full of It, the band capture the gritty urgency of their ethos in a way they never have done before. Play it loud and play it hard is the objective of the day, and boy, do the band take their mission seriously. Joining punk rock forces with iconic record label Kill Rock Stars for the release, the Portland trio have transformed to ooze a snarled confidence – a kickboxing leap away from the underground garage of 2013’s No Makeup and 2015’s Show Us Your Mind.

Full of It opens with a stereotypical drum roll, but what follows is far from average. Guitars burst into action as “Go Home” unfolds. The album’s ferocious call to arms, as an opening track it’s bold and unfiltered, with front woman Jessica Boudreaux challenging the listener to a fight via the medium of squealing guitars and reverberation.

The production on Full of It is key, not because it elevates the band so much as it allows them to convey a sound they probably strived for all along. Gone is the bedroom sound that charmed its way through No Makeup, replaced by crashing percussion and strings that ring long after they’ve snapped. The overall effect is that of sonic 90s - bands such as Pixies and My Bloody Valentine at the fore – but this isn’t a homage to the past. Summer Cannibals are fresh and vital, timeless in the fact that they draw comparison to previous bands, but still maintain a trademark growl that’s unique to their own material.

One thing that Full of It lacks is versatility. From the minute the guitars of “Go Home” kick in to the closing, lazy crunch of “Simple Life”, there’s no stopping Boudreaux on guitar, Devon Shirley on drums, or Jenny Logan on bass. There’s no moment of reflective silence; no loud/quiet dynamic; and certainly no ballad on Full of It. This is 11 tracks of fire and gut, and light-hearted music fans might balk at the relentless attack.

Thankfully DrunkenWerewolf can stomach the blow, and for that reason Summer Cannibals may well have created the album of the year with Full of It. This is a brave step into the future for the band and hopefully an indication of many years’ worth of releases to come.

One Response to “Summer Cannibals bare their teeth for Full of It”

By far my favorite album in 25 years. Like the writer says you van hear old groups influence but still their own fresh sound. Nice to see younger generation progress for once. Love her guitar work and reverberating amp. Caught the by accident opening for Slothrust and they shined.